The Greatest Treasure of All
by MidnightLillies
Summary: Yuzuru and Kanade both knew from the start they shared a special sort of bond; a bond so strong, they carried it with them into the next life. The treasured memories they created are held deep within their hearts. Will they be able to find them again?
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

_Cycling and flowing, the times change,  
>I can't recall what happened anymore…<br>But if I try closing my eyes, there's someone's laughter;  
>Somehow, that's my most precious treasure now…<em>

(( Otonashi's P.O.V. ))

A light breeze rustled a redheaded boy's hair as he walked down the sidewalk. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the soft delicate petals sailed on the wind, coming to a gentle landing at the boy's feet. He inhaled deeply, the soft, sweet perfume filling his nostrils, causing him to smile slightly. It was the boy's favourite time of year, when the cherry blossom trees let go of their flowers, covering Tokyo in a thick carpet of the perfect little blooms. Something about that time brought a sense of romance to those who stood under the branches, and entranced them with their lovely spell.

Ah, yes. It really was a nice time for Otonashi Yuzuru. He would be starting his first day at his new school tomorrow, and his stomach knotted up just thinking about it. Otonashi was a smart kid, and had been accepted into an exclusive private high school in downtown Tokyo. Even though he had brains, he wasn't such a genius when it came to his social life. But he would remain optimistic; after all it was a chance to start over, to reinvent himself.

And so as the sun sank below the horizon, the redhead continued walking, enjoying the scenery. He needed to make his way to his new dorm room at the school and unpack, so he would be ready for class the next morning. _Keep calm, Yuzuru, _He thought to himself. _You can do this. Hatsune would want this for you._ He kept the thought of his dearly departed little sister in his head as he caught sight of the fancy-looking school up ahead.

Once he had reached the gate, Otonashi took a deep breath and pressed the buzzer. "Yes?" He heard a woman's voice say. He cleared his throat and pushed down the button that allowed him to speak into the microphone.

"M-my name's Otonashi. I'm a new student here…?"

"Ah, yes. We've been expecting you, Otonashi. Just head into the main building up ahead." As he heard this, the ornate iron gates slowly opened, and with a gulp he walked inside.

"Yuzuru Otonashi," A woman behind a desk said with the same voice as the one he had just heard. "Welcome to Shimei Academy."

Otonashi gave her a bow and, after setting his bags down and going over some paperwork, smiled as the woman handed him two keys. "Your room number is 108," She said. "The student building is just through this door, then just follow the walkway." She indicated a door that led out the right side of the building.

"Alright, thanks," Otonashi said, reaching down to grab his things. He headed out the door the woman had indicated and immediately saw a handsome building with at least five floors to it, and large lettering on the side that spelled out "Student Building".

"Well that was easy," He said aloud to himself as he pushed open the double glass doors and walked inside to find a small lobby that merged into a long hallway. He looked around; rooms 1 through 40 were on this floor. He located a stairwell and, after much physical labour, emerged onto the third floor with his things, where his room was most likely located. He dragged his two bags down the hallway and finally found what he was looking for: Room 108.

"Finally," The redhead groaned as he unlocked the door and struggled through the small door frame with his luggage in tow.

The room was simple yet elegant; two twin beds sat side-by-side on the far wall, and a small mahogany bedside table was placed in between them. The walls were a creamy white colour that complemented the coffee-coloured shag carpet. He could see a small hallway that most likely led to the bathroom and maybe some storage space. To his left was a small kitchenette with an open wall that looked out into the main room.

"Sweet!" Otonashi said aloud. "A huge dorm all to myself."

"Think again, man."

Yuzuru almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice behind him. He whirled around to see a boy of about the same age as him, with blue hair and greyish-blue eyes. His eyebrow was raised, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm assuming you're my new roommate," He said. "Sorry, but if you want a room all to yourself you'll have to take it up with administration."

Otonashi felt his shoulders slump forward slightly as he received this news. "Shit…" He muttered.

The other male squeezed past his door-block of luggage and plopped down on the bed on the right. "Take that one," He said, pointing at the other.

A groan emanated from the redhead as he dragged his luggage over to the bed and plopped down on the mattress. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed had been back home, but it would do.

His roommate watched as Otonashi knelt down and unzipped his suitcase. "Want some help with that?"

Yuzuru looked at him over his shoulder and gave him a grateful smile. "That would be nice," He said as the boy came over and began taking clothes out of the bag.

After a moment of silent unpacking, Otonashi heard the male speak once more. "I'm Hinata," He said. "Hinata Hideki."

"Otonashi Yuzuru," The redhead replied with a smile as Hinata held his hand out. Otonashi took it and shook.

"So, you new to the area or something?" Hinata asked curiously as they continued unpacking Otonashi's things.

Otonashi shook his head, his unruly red hair coming down to hang in his eyes. "Nah, I've lived in Tokyo for awhile now. I'm just transferring from a public school, is all."

"Ah, nice," The male replied. "So do you have your classes yet?"

Once again Yuzuru gave a shake of his head. "Not yet, I still need to go over to the main building and get my schedule."

Suddenly Hinata stood and dropped everything he had been holding. "I'll go with you!" He said with a grin. "While we're at it, and I can give you a tour of the school."

Yuzuru set a few pairs of jeans down and stood, slower than Hinata had. "Really? Y-you'd do that?"

The blue-haired male nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. "Yeah! I have nothing better to do anyways."

Otonashi smiled at Hinata's kindness and followed him out the door, leaving his halfway-unpacked baggage behind. Once in the hallway, Otonashi pulled the door shut and walked next to his roommate as they proceeded down the stairs and back out the door.

As they walked, Hinata stuck his hands in his pockets and looked sideways at Otonashi. "So, how did you get accepted into a place like this anyway?"

"Scholarship," The redhead answered simply. "I worked hard and got perfect grades, so they gave me a scholarship here."

"Nice!" Hinata said, obviously impressed. "I'm not smart enough to get a scholarship, my family's just wealthy."

Otonashi nodded, letting his mind wander to what it was like to have such luxuries; a big house, a paid internship at a private school…and loving parents. But Otonashi had let go of such luxuries long ago to care for his sister. It wasn't like he really needed them anyways. All he needed were the necessities and he would be just fine.

"And here we are." The blue-haired male said, pulling Otonashi out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the building he had first received directions in. The two boys walked inside and back up to the front desk, where the woman still sat.

"Ah, Otonashi," She said upon seeing them. "I see you've met your roommate?"

"Yes, ma'am," Yuzuru said politely. "Actually, I came back to get my classes..?"

Her eyes lit up in understanding. "Ah, yes. I've got it right here, just let me print it out for you."

After a few whirrs and clicks from the printer, a crisp sheet of paper came out with black text on it. She handed it to him and he scanned it a few times.

"Not bad," Hinata said from where he had been looking at it over Otonashi's shoulder. "Looks like we have Classic Literature and World History together…" He stopped as he continued to read down the piece of paper. "And we have the same homeroom class!"

Yuzuru felt himself smile a little when he heard this; at least he wouldn't be totally alone. Carefully, he folded up the piece of paper and stuck it in the pocket of his jacket.

"Alright, let's get going," Hinata said. "There's a lot to see and not very much time until lights-out."

"Sure." Otonashi replied simply and began to walk after Hinata. His footsteps slowed, however, when he noticed two other students enter through a door on the far wall of the building. One of them, a male who Otonashi assumed was younger than he was by his short stature, had messy black hair that covered his ears and sharp hazel eyes. The other, for some reason, made Otonashi's heart nearly stop as he looked on.

She was small and petite, with pale ivory skin and long, silvery-white hair that glowed in the fading sunlight. Her eyes were like melted gold as they looked straight ahead of her. The other black-haired kid was talking to her, but it didn't really seem like she was listening to anything he said. She had an almost dreamy look on her face, like her mind was floating somewhere far away. Otonashi felt his breath catch in his throat when suddenly, her beautiful golden gaze turned toward him.

The split-seconds after that passed in slow-motion.

He felt dazed as the shock delivered from her piercing gaze restarted his heart, and he blinked as the two continued walking past, as if he wasn't even there.

"Yo, Otonashi?" He vaguely heard Hinata say to him. "Earth to Otonashi!"

Yuzuru shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked over to see Hinata snapping his fingers in his face. "You okay?" He asked, his light eyes filled with mild concern.

The redhead nodded and blinked a few more times. "Huh? Oh yeah…yeah, I'm fine."

Hinata breathed a small sigh of relief. "Now, come on!" He said, beckoning for him to follow. Otonashi trailed after him without question, his hands in his pockets. Although he heard what Hinata was saying to him as they walked around, none of it really registered; his head was full of that beautiful yellow gaze. For some reason, he had felt an instant connection with that girl. He didn't know how, after all she was only some random girl. But the way she had looked at him seemed so tantalizingly familiar…

He shook his head once again and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get his thoughts together. He suddenly felt very confused and jumbled. _Get it together, Yuzuru! _He scolded himself. So what if a girl had looked at him funny. It was just a glance, right? It wasn't anything special.

Otonashi forced the girl out of his mind and caught up to Hinata, who had gotten farther ahead of him. As the sun sank behind the trees, so did the concern over something so small.

And as that night wore on, it was like it hadn't even happened.


	2. Chapter 2: That Song

( Otonashi's P.O.V. )

The next day was rather uneventful for Yuzuru.

He made it to all of his classes on-time thanks to Hinata, and by his third class he had to say: private school was not much different than public school.

And so Otonashi hung on until finally, it was time for lunch. He stuck to the sidelines as the other students trampled over each other to get to the lunchroom, which was in a smaller building attached to the Student building. In all of the chaos, Yuzuru pinpointed Hinata's blue head and rode with the traffic flow until he was next to him.  
>"Oh, hey," Hinata said upon seeing him. "How's your first day so far?"<p>

"Not bad," Otonashi replied. "Pretty boring though. What about you?"

The other shrugged his shoulder. "Meh, same old same old. Now come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving!"

The redhead nodded eagerly and stuck close to his roommate as Hinata expertly wove through the crowd of excited teenagers. In just a few short minutes they were at the lunchroom doors, the tide of students behind them.

Hinata pushed one of the double doors open and the two walked into the spacious cafeteria. The room had plenty of windows that let in the early-afternoon sunlight, and the white linoleum floors gleamed under Otonashi's feet as they walked past the rows upon rows of long tables.

"Everything's good," Hinata said as they approached the menu counter. "Except the Mapo Tofu. That stuff's so spicy, you have to be super tough to handle it."

Otonashi nodded on this note; he didn't really like spicy food anyway.

After they had ordered their food, Hinata turned and began scanning the tables. "Oh, here," He exclaimed, and began heading quickly toward a table that seemed like it was already pretty full. But Otonashi followed without question, and sat down timidly next to Hinata.

"Otonashi, these are my friends," The blue-haired male said, indicating everyone sitting at their table. "We all sort of hang out together, although none of us really know why. We're all so different."

Yuzuru looked down the long stretch of table to see quite a sight; a few were fighting over food, a few girls were chatting excitedly. He instantly felt overwhelmed by all of them.

"This is Yuri," Hinata indicated to a girl with red-pink hair and sparkling blue eyes. She simply nodded to him and kept eating.

"She refers to herself as our leader," Hinata said. "She can be a bitch sometimes, just to warn you."

Yuri looked up and gave Hinata a deadly glare, then reached over and punched him in the shoulder. Hard. His chair tipped back, and Otonashi simply watched as he toppled to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Otonashi said, scrambling up to help Hinata up. Hinata brushed his jacket off and shot Yuri a scowl. "See what I mean?"

"You want it again?" Yuri threatened, and Hinata held up his hands in surrender. She turned her piercing blue gaze from Hinata to Otonashi, and a grin spread across her face. "Welcome, new guy," She said, although her tone wasn't very warm. "Some advice? Don't hang out with Hinata. He's a dick."

Yuzuru didn't say anything, just uncomfortably began eating the miso soup he had ordered. Once Hinata had gotten his bearings, he dismissed Yuri and continued with the introductions.

"That's Noda," He said, indicating a tan fellow with messy purple hair. Upon hearing his name he shot a glare toward them.  
>"He's crazy. Don't let him get to you." Hinata muttered the warning into Otonashi's ear. "Seriously, don't even LOOK at him unless y0u wanna start a fight."<p>

Yuzuru nodded, although he thought Hinata was exaggerating, he didn't really wanna take any chances. That was the last thing he needed, to make enemies on his first day there.

"That big guy sitting next to Noda is Matsushita," He continued. "He'll do just about anything for you in exchange for food. Really comes in handy."

"Those two are Fujimaki and Oyama," He said, indicating to two very normal-looking guys, one with black hair and fierce eyes, the other meeker, with brown hair and bright green eyes. "That creepy goth girl is Shiina. She doesn't talk much."

He pointed at a girl with long black hair and a scarf around her neck, who appeared to be just sitting there. Her food sat in front of her, untouched, and Otonashi couldn't help but shiver.

"The dancing stoner is TK," Hinata continued, pointing at a tall, blonde guy with a red bandana around his head. "No one knows his real name. Try not to pay attention to him, nothing he says makes any sense."

"Then there's Takamatsu, the guy in the glasses. He's always pushing them up his nose to make himself look smarter. He's really just a big dumbass." As Hinata said this, a fellow with dark blue hair pushed his square-framed glasses up his nose.

"Finally, we have Girls Dead Monster, aka GLDEMO, over there, that group of girls? There's Iwasawa, the lead singer, Hisako, lead guitarist, Sekine, bassist, Irie, drummer, and then there's Yui. Yui's not in the band, but she's their number-one fan. She's crazy."

Otonashi nodded, taking note of the group of girls, surrounded by instruments. They chatted excitedly, but the one who stood out the most was definitely an energetic girl with long pink hair, who he guessed was Yui.

"And that's everyone!" Hinata concluded. "I know, they're a bunch of psychos. Best to stick with me." As he said this, he earned himself another punch in the arm from Yuri.

"Gah, would ya knock it off Yurippe!" He shouted, his free hand clamped around his now-injured arm. "Not in front of the new guy!"

She sniggered and took a bite of her lunch. "Come on, Hinata, stop being such a pussy."

As the two of them fought playfully, Otonashi took the opportunity to look around the cafeteria; he mostly saw people eating and enjoying themselves, but something stood out to him.

The pretty girl from the night before was sitting at a table in the corner by herself, staring into space, absentmindedly taking occasional bites of her food. Whatever was on her plate, it was bloody red and Otonashi could almost feel the heat coming off of it.

"Hey, Hinata," He said, not taking his eyes off of the girl, but this time she didn't seem to notice him staring at her. Hinata drew his attention away from Yuri and looked in the direction Otonashi was.

"Who's that girl over there?" He asked, nodding in her direction. "The one sitting by herself."

Hinata's clear blue eyes moved to where he indicated, and his face brightened a little in recognition. "That's Tachibana Kanade," He said. "She's class president, but she's kinda weird. Not very social, for president, y'know?"

Yuzuru nodded. So her name was Kanade…such a musical name. He could imagine saying it, the word sounding like little bells chiming. "Kanade…" He repeated, just to test it. Yes, it was indeed a beautiful name. Why it held significance to him, he had no idea.

The redhead allowed his brown eyes to move back down to his miso soup, but his mind lingered on Kanade. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen her before, but he couldn't put his finger on it…maybe he had seen her around Tokyo? No, that wasn't it. Her face was too memorable; it stood out too much for someone he might've just seen on the street.

He shook his red locks to clear his thoughts when he noticed that most of the others were already almost done eating. Again, he turned to Hinata and tilted his head questioningly.

"Hurry up and finish!" Hinata urged him. "GLDEMO is performing today, and their concert's gonna start soon."

Otonashi felt a spark of recognition, and he looked over to see that the band members were gone, instruments and all. He felt a new sense of excitement and hurried to throw the rest of his lunch away with the others.

A moment later, they all heard a loud chord played by an electric guitar, followed by dozens of screaming fans. Hinata grinned and grabbed Otonashi's hand, then began dragging him out the double doors and outside, where a stage had been established.

"Helloooo, Shimei!" The lead singer Iwasawa, a girl with reddish-pink hair and eyes the same crimson colour, yelled energetically into the microphone. "We've decided to treat you guys today with our number one song, so here it is! Ladies and gentlemen, the Crow Song!"

The sea of students all screamed at once right as Hinata and Otonashi made it to the back of the crowd. Otonashi couldn't help but smile at all of the excitement. Irie, the drummer, banged her drumsticks together to get the beat down, followed by some heavy pounding for the intro. Hisako and Iwasawa both began playing loud, perfectly conjoined chords as Sekine provided their backup sound with her bass. Then, with a big smile on her face, Iwasawa leaned into the mic and began singing:

_There's a wall of shutters behind me,  
>My fingertips smell like steel.<br>Move ahead! Strum those strings! It's crowded, at any rate.  
><em>

The power and emotion in Iwasawa's voice was obvious as she belted out the first verse, followed by the chorus, which gave Otonashi shivers as she sang:

_Find a way from here;  
>You'll find what you're looking for.<br>Let's rock out and play on.  
>Gaze into the distance;<br>inside this city where you can't even take a breather._

As the band progressed into the second powerful verse, Otonashi felt himself get swept into the excitement of the crowd. He grinned and pumped his fist in the air, letting the music take him.

_No matter how long, I'll exist here,  
>Within all the people who pass through.<br>On this stage enclosed in the darkness,  
>I sing my poem of hope right now.<br>Even you must also be tired.  
>I want to send this to that back of yours -<br>From within the pitch darkness,  
>The song of light that gleams with hope...<br>Yes, that song..._

The last bridge of the song came, and suddenly Otonashi felt an odd sensation that he had heard this song before…his eyes widened and the music grew muffled, as if it was far away.

* * *

><p><em>The wind blew gently through the trees, and everything seemed very distant from where Otonashi stood; the blasting music, the screaming fans. None of it really mattered. Here he stood, his first day on the job, and the Brigade's arch-enemy was slowly advancing toward him.<em>

_Shakily Otonashi held up his pistol in front of him, one eye closing to lock onto her. Her silvery hair shone white in the moonlight. "Guard Skill: Hand sonic," She said, her voice robotic. A semi-transparent blade fazed out of her arm and she held it up across her chest, her cold yellow gaze fixed on her target._

_Then, she moved like a flash to close the distance between them, and Otonashi barely had any time to think; he fired the gun blindly, his eyes squeezed shut. But when he opened them, he was surprised to see her stagger as the bullet pierced her side._

"_I…I hit her!" He said in disbelief. But his pride was short-lived; Angel continued her advance on him, her free hand clenched over the wound. Her face showed no sign of the pain she must've been feeling, simply remained as icy as ever. And those eyes, those predatory golden eyes, remained fixed on him and only him. And for that moment, everything seemed to move in slow-motion as he simply stared, dumbfounded at her. He couldn't move, couldn't think. Panic began to surge through him as thoughts entered his mind that he could fail._

_But then, out of nowhere, salvation came; the backup he so desperately needed. And as the song continued to play, the fans continued to cheer, as if there was nothing peculiar going on right outside._

_And once again, he heard:_

No matter how long, I'll exist here,  
>Within all the people who pass through.<br>On this stage enclosed in the darkness,  
>I sing my poem of hope right now.<br>Even you must also be tired.  
>I want to send this to that back of yours -<br>From within the pitch darkness,  
>The song of light that gleams with hope...<br>Yes, that song...

* * *

><p>Otonashi felt his heart shudder for a split-second as he was brought back to the outside concert. The song had finished, and the band members waved happily at the restless crowd. He looked around, confused; what had just happened? It had been a flashback of some sort…but he couldn't remember ever experiencing it. But somehow, the song had awakened a part in him he may not have known was there. He reached up and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.<p>

"You alright?" He heard Hinata's slightly muffled voice say. "You don't look so good."

Otonashi shook his head. "I'm fine, just…got a little dizzy, is all."

Hinata shrugged and went off to find Yuri, leaving Otonashi standing there alone. He closed his eyes for a moment and once again, tried to get that odd incident out of his head. But even as he succeeded in pushing it away for awhile, he still felt something, deep down inside him, that his experience at Shimei Academy wouldn't be what he expected.


	3. Chapter 3: Perhaps it's Fate

( Otonashi's P.O.V. )

"I have to join a club?"

Otonashi blinked dumbly at the Vice Student President, who was evidently in charge of extracurricular activities. His dark eyes gleamed in the shadow cast by his Gakuen hat.

Vice President Naoi nodded. "It's required of every student here to join some kind of club."

Naoi Ayato, whose name Otonashi hadn't known until just a few minutes ago, had pulled him aside in between classes. Immediately Otonashi had picked up a very stiff, business-like vibe from him.

So here he stood, feeling like prey under the piercing gaze of the vice president. He shifted around uncomfortably as Naoi adjusted the cap on his head.

"Currently the only club with an opening is gardening club," He continued. "They have meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the grounds. Oh," He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly at Otonashi. "The Student Body President is the head of the gardening club, so don't think you can skip out."

The redhead simply nodded, still feeling slightly flustered by the vice president's fierce demeanor. He shook his head a little as Naoi walked away, and slowly began heading to his next class.

But as he walked, weaving through the hordes of students, one thing stuck in his mind: Kanade was the head of the gardening club. Ever since the concert the day before, he had begun looking for opportunities to talk to her. He didn't know why she intrigued him so much, but with everything that had happened in just a few short days, there was bound to be something different about her.

And so, Otonashi endured all of his classes, feeling almost excited to join the gardening club. It was Wednesday, and his first meeting was only a few hours away. Finally, the final bell rang, and Otonashi collected his things and headed out of the student building.

As he walked outside into the afternoon sunshine, he could already see club members talking in little groups here and there; various sports teams crowded the fields, GLDEMO, headed by Iwasawa, were sitting on the lush green grass singing. He couldn't help but smile at the relaxed, happy atmosphere the school took on once classes ended.

Taking a deep breath, Otonashi began heading toward the school gates, although he actually had no idea exactly where the meeting was supposed to take place. Naoi hadn't exactly been very specific.

As he approached the gates, where dozens of orderly flower beds were located, he realized he had made a lucky guess; Kanade was tending to some primroses, her silver hair glowing dimly under her sun hat.

Instantly Otonashi felt his heart begin to beat faster as he approached her. Upon further inspection, it appeared that there wasn't anyone else there besides them. Oh well, he was probably just early.

"Um…" He muttered from behind her, shifting his feet awkwardly. Kanade slowly set down the ceramic pot full of soil she was holding and turned to look at him, and he once again felt that bolt of electricity shoot through him.

"Yes?" She blinked questioningly, and he felt himself begin to melt at the sound of her soft, sweet voice.

"Well, I was told to…to come here after school today, so…"

She simply blinked once more, as if to show her mild surprise. "Are…you here to join the gardening club?"

Otonashi felt all of the moisture leave his mouth and, unable to speak anymore, he simply nodded. Kanade's honey gaze moved from his face down to the flowers and back again. After a moment, she nodded once.

"So…where's everyone else?" The redhead couldn't help but ask. Whoever else was in this club, they still weren't there.

"I'm the only one," She replied, much to Otonashi's astonishment. But as she said it, there was no trace of sadness or disappointment in her voice; in fact, there was absolutely nothing at all. "You're the first to join."

Well, Naoi had left out that minor detail. Now Otonashi was stuck in a club with Kanade, just the two of them. And on top of that, he knew _nothing about girls. _Oh joy, this was going to be fun.

After a moment, Kanade reached over by the pot she had set down and picked up a pair of gardening gloves, then held them out to him. He blinked stupidly at them, but he took them with a smile and put them on.

"We need to take care of the primroses…" Kanade said dreamily. "Or else they'll wilt…"

She didn't say anything after that, so Otonashi reached for a nearby watering can and poured the crystalline droplets onto the soft, pink petals of the flowers. Almost immediately the flowers perked up, their petals and leaves glistening in the mid-afternoon sunshine. Otonashi looked back over to Kanade, who seemed to be satisfied. She turned away from him and reached once more for her pot of soil, and began distributing it among the flowers.

"They need to have good soil," She said as she continued with her task. "After awhile they suck all of the nutrients out, so it's important that we give them fresh soil every week or so."

Otonashi blinked as she explained this, and after a moment he smiled and laughed awkwardly. She lifted her gaze from the flowers up to his face.

"What's your name?" She asked quietly. The redhead automatically felt an almost overwhelming pressure come over him as he stared into her golden eyes.

"O-Otonashi Yuzuru," He finally managed to stammer. "And…you're Tachibana Kanade, right?"

She nodded once and turned back to the flowers. Otonashi reached up and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You can help me with the soil, if you want," She said without looking up. Otonashi nodded and bent over to reach for another pot of the fresh soil, at the exact same time Kanade did.

Their hands touched, and he automatically sucked in a breath as a charge of electricity surged through him. He hurriedly pulled away and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," He said. She dipped her head to him and proceeded to pick up the pot of soil.

They worked in silence, and as Otonashi continued tending to the flowers, he couldn't help wondering if Kanade had felt that bolt as strongly as he had…maybe they didn't have a connection after all. Maybe…it was just him…

* * *

><p>( Kanade's P.O.V. )<p>

The silver-haired girl sat on her bed in her single dorm, her golden eyes fixed on her hands. She and Otonashi had parted ways about two hours ago, and Kanade still couldn't get that moment when their hands touched out of her mind. She wasn't sure what exactly it had been…one minute, she had been reaching for a pot of soil, the next she felt sparks fly as the two of them made contact.

Her brow furrowed as she continued to stare at her outstretched palms, the pale skin glowing in the dim lamplight that illuminated the room. In her mild confusion, she still felt like she had seen him somewhere before. She couldn't place her finger on it, but she knew she had met him before. Even though they had only just met…she somehow felt like she knew him.

Reaching up, she cupped her hand over her chest, and felt the steady thumping of her heart. Her eyes closed, and for a moment she listened to the soft thumping. Yes, she could feel it now…it was a distant, fuzzy feeling, but she was sure she felt him. His face, his spirit, beating inside of her.

She sighed and shook her head as her eyes opened. That was ridiculous…the two hadn't even met until earlier. Her practicality pushed the thoughts aside, and she sat down at her desk to study.

Yes, it was ridiculous. There was no way…was there?


	4. Chapter 4: Heaven is Crying

( Otonashi's P.O.V. )

The week after joining the gardening club was pretty uneventful for Otonashi. He went to his classes every day, hung out with Hinata, and went to gardening club after school. He was really beginning to fall into a routine.

But even as he got to know Kanade a little better, he didn't feel that connection he had first felt when they touched hands again. He was really starting to question whether or not he was just crazy.

On the Friday after he had joined gardening club, he blinked as he stepped outside; dark grey clouds blocked out the sunlight, and a cold breeze blew at his clothes. He shivered as he began his trek across the grounds to his and Kanade's usual meeting place, but when rain started falling, he really doubted he would see her there.

But as he approached the rows upon rows of flowers near the gates, sure enough there she was, her silvery hair glowing grey in the dim light.

"Kanade," He said as he approached her. She looked up at him with a dreamy expression on her face. "What are you doing out here? It's raining!"

As if she didn't take his word for it, she looked up at the sky and held out her hand, watching as a droplet of water splashed into her palm. She looked back at Otonashi and then over at the flowers.

"I guess I didn't notice," She said, as if it were a totally reasonable explanation. Otonashi shook his head and ran up to her, his shoes sloshing in the already-wet grass.

"Come on, let's get out of this rain." He said, taking off his jacket and putting it around her shoulders. She looked up at him questioningly but didn't say a thing as he directed her toward a nearby greenhouse.

Otonashi was greeted automatically by warm air as they entered the open wall that led into the greenhouse; the air was humid in spite of the rain, and the buzz of various insects created a faint humming.

"We can stay here until the rain stops," He said, sitting down on a bench and hesitantly inviting her to sit down next to him. After a moment Kanade slowly moved over to the bench and sat without a word.

"It's raining harder now…" Kanade said quietly. "I wonder if it will let up soon."

Otonashi shrugged. "Who knows? But we should wait until it stops. I…don't want you catching a cold." He instantly felt a pang of regret at saying this…what if she misinterpreted it? _Oh man, I feel like an idiot…_

But instead of taking it the wrong way, Kanade simply turned her burning golden gaze on him and nodded slowly. "You're right.." She mumbled. "Don't want to be getting sick. Especially with school."

The redhead nodded and shifted uncomfortably; what was he supposed to say to her now? He had noticed over the past week that it was kind of difficult to keep a conversation going with Kanade. The way she spoke was blunt and to-the-point.

"The rain is so pretty," Kanade said after a few moments of silence. She reached up and adjusted Otonashi's jacket around her shoulders as she gazed outside at the pouring rain. "They say that when it rains, it means that Heaven is crying."

Otonashi looked over at her, not sure what to say. He nodded and let his own auburn gaze follow hers outside, to where the heavy drops of rain hit the ground. "I wonder if it's true," She continued, not drawing her gaze away. "I wonder if Angels send their tears to Earth when they cry."

He shrugged a little, still not sure if he was supposed to give input, or to just let her talk. He was actually kind of shocked; he had never really heard Kanade talk so much at once.

"But something terrible must have to happen to make Angels cry…" She mumbled, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought about this. "I didn't think Angels had a reason to cry. What do you think?" Otonashi felt startled at this sudden request for him to voice his thoughts on such a subject. He hesitated as he looked out at the rain.

"I think…" He paused, trying to find the correct wording. "Angels don't cry because of things that happen to them, but they cry for us, here on Earth. I mean, if people share bonds strong enough, they can both feel the same thing, even after one of them has died, right?"

Kanade nodded in understanding. "So then…" He continued. "maybe Angels feel sad for those that they love, if they feel sad." He chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "That doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Her golden gaze flickered from the rain to his face, then back again. "No, I understand," She said quietly. "That if two people share a special connection, they'll feel the same thing, even in death."  
>Otonashi felt a small smile come to his face as he looked to the side at her. Just then, the drumming of the raindrops on the metal roof quieted, and the clouds parted to reveal a small ray of sun. The light filtered brightly through the semi-transparent roof, and Otonashi felt his heart skip a beat as he turned to face Kanade.<p>

For a split-second, two huge white forms surrounded her body in the sunlight. They almost resembled…wings? No, that was impossible. Otonashi blinked, and the forms vanished, leaving Kanade looking exactly the way she had.

"Hm?" She said, looking up at him. He smiled nervously and dismissed the sight. "It's nothing," He said. "Come on, the rain's letting up. Should we head back?"

Kanade looked outside one last time. "Sure," She said with a nod, and stood. "We still have a little while left until today's meeting is over…are you hungry?"

Otonashi looked over at her to meet her inquiring gaze. "Er…sure," He stammered. "Come on then, let's hurry before it starts raining again."

A few minutes later, they ran into the cafeteria, partially soaked. As Otonashi caught his breath, he looked around; the lunchroom was deserted. The weak sunlight filtered in through the big windows, filling the room with dim light. He let his gaze travel over to Kanade, who held two little slips of paper in her hand.

"My treat," She said, making her way up to the menu. Otonashi watched helplessly as she handed the two tickets to the cook. After a few minutes, she placed two steaming bowls of food on the counter and rang a little bell.

"Thank you," She said as she picked up the bowls and brought them over to a table in the back corner that sat right next to the window. Otonashi sat down opposite her and watched as she slid one of the bowls toward him.

"Thank y-" He started, but upon inhaling the aroma of the food he choked a little. The scent filled his nose and burned his nostrils, forcing him to cough.

"What is this stuff?" He said as he examined it further; it looked like bubbling lava. She scooped up a spoonful and blew on the hot substance.

"Mapo tofu," She said as she put the spoonful in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed. "It's good."

Deciding to take her word for it, Otonashi repeated what she had done, and plopped the spoon into his mouth. At first, it was a good flavour, but as he swallowed he felt a sickening burning sensation start to singe his tastebuds. He coughed again and looked around wildly for something to wash it down with, to no avail.

He stuck his tongue out and fanned it with his hand as the burn raged through his mouth and down his throat, threatening to make him vomit. "S-spicy," He choked out as his face began to sweat. Looking around again, he finally spotted a drinking fountain in the corner and ran to it.

"You don't like it?" Kanade said as he returned to the table, some of the intense heat vanquished by the cool water.

"It's just really spicy," Otonashi said, pushing the bowl away a little. "How can you stand it?"

She shrugged and took another bite of the food. "I guess I just like spicy things," She said. "Not many people have as much tolerance to spice as I do."

Otonashi shook his head, his lips beginning to go numb from the heat. "I appreciate the offer," He said, pushing the bowl toward her. "But you can have mine."

Her eyes moved to the untouched bowl, and she shook her head a little. "Too much food," She said. "I could never eat that much."

Suddenly, an image flashed into Otonashi's mind, blocking out everything else: Kanade sitting at a lunch table, wearing a different uniform, the light filtering in through the windows. A bowl of the same Mapo Tofu sat in front of her. He watched as she raised the spoon and examined the spicy substance within.

It was gone as soon as it had come. Before he knew it, he was looking at Kanade again, her outfit replaced by the sweater-dress she was wearing, along with his jacket draped over her damp shoulders. She looked at him questioningly.

"Are you alright?" She asked, a tone of mild concern in her voice. He nodded and rubbed his temples with his fingertips.

"I'm fine," He mumbled. "Guess the spiciness got to me."

Kanade nodded understandingly. Otonashi felt a hint of red come into his cheeks as he debated on what to say next.

"Hey, uh, Kanade…"

"Yes?"

He scratched his head uncomfortably. "Well, uh…w-when we first met, did you notice anything…strange, happen?"

"Strange..?" She repeated, gazing at the wall behind him. "I don't think so…"

Otonashi felt a wave of disappointment come over him. He was half-expecting her to admit that she had felt something odd, but he was also kind of hoping that it was nothing. But those flashes of images, places, feelings…they were really starting to get to him.

"R-right," He said, hiding his inner turmoil with a light-hearted laugh. "Just wondering."

Kanade gazed at him for a moment before lowering her eyes to the Mapo tofu in front of her. Otonashi looked at the surface of the table as they sat in silence.

_No, nothing is happening…nothing at all._

* * *

><p>( Kanade's P.O.V. )<p>

What was happening to her?

Kanade sat curled up on her small bed, the room only lit up by a small bedside lamp. For some reason, as she sat there, she couldn't get Otonashi's face out of her head…how he had asked her if anything strange had happened when they had first met. Her mind flickered back to earlier that day:

"_I think…" He paused, trying to find the correct wording. "Angels don't cry because of things that happen to them, but they cry for us, here on Earth. I mean, if people share bonds strong enough, they can both feel the same thing, even after one of them has died, right?"_

_Kanade nodded in understanding. "So then…" He continued. "maybe Angels feel sad for those that they love, if they feel sad." He chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "That doesn't make any sense, does it?"_

_Her golden gaze flickered from the rain to his face, then back again. "No, I understand," She said quietly. "That if two people share a special connection, they'll feel the same thing...even in death."_

Could it be that all of these odd things happening were because the two of them shared some sort of connection? But that wouldn't make sense…they had never even met before. Yet something about him made Kanade's heart beat faster, her breath speed up. Maybe she had a certain purpose in life that involved him. But what did she know? She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"I feel you, Otonashi…" She whispered, holding her hand over her heart. He was still there, beating inside of her. Slowly, she lay down on her side, her hands not leaving that spot on her chest. Her other hand moved behind her, her fingertips massaging the shoulder blade. For some reason, it felt like something was attached there…and yet, there was nothing there but air. She clenched her teeth softly at the dull ache that was produced when she dug her fingers a little harder into the joint.

_What's happening to me? _She thought as she rubbed the soft curve of her blade, feeling along the edge for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing felt wrong, and yet she felt a heavy sort of presence on her shoulders.

Suddenly a sharp stab of pain ripped through her, sending her rigid. She silenced a scream through clenched teeth as the sudden burst of pain caused her muscles to tighten, her joints to lock. It started at her shoulders and radiated throughout her, all the way to her core. She bit her tongue and let out a small squeak.

A flash, and all Kanade saw was white.

* * *

><p><em>A familiar face, the warm presence of arms around her. She felt a sense of comfort as she looked up into those deep auburn eyes. The same heaviness on her shoulders greeted her, and she looked over to see a white, tattered...wing? What was happening? <em>

_Then the pain came again._

_It was worse this time. She didn't hold back the scream as the sensation ripped her apart from the inside. She felt as if her being itself was being ripped to shreds – like she was being pulled apart at the seams. A horrible shriek pierced the night, and tears ran down her cheeks. Why was this happening? Why wasn't Otonashi trying to help her?_

"_Kanade! Stay with me, Kanade! KANADE!"_

_The pain was too much. Otonashi's frantic shouts sounded muffled and distant as she let herself begin to fall into blackness. She couldn't fight back anymore against the force that was tearing her apart. Before she knew it, she slipped into the comforting black of unconsciousness, his voice echoing in the still._

* * *

><p>With a gasp, Kanade opened her eyes to see her dorm room again. What in the world had that been? She sat up quickly, feeling extremely dizzy. The pain had vanished just as quickly as it had come. She rubbed her head and made her way into the bathroom.<p>

The faucet squeaked slightly as she turned the handle and splashed her face with cold water. She pushed her silver hair back and looked at her reflection, which looked just as frightened and confused as she felt. What had happened just now? The future, maybe? It didn't make any sense though…she had had wings. A dream? A memory? She didn't know.

_Now I know what he meant by strange… _She thought as she stumbled back over to her bed and collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. Had he been experiencing things similar to what she had just went through? She shuddered involuntarily at the memory of such stabbing pain. She sent a silent plea to the heavens that she would never have to feel a pain like that ever again.

"Otonashi…" She mumbled as she let herself collapse into the comfort of sleep. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she dreamed.

Of Otonashi.

_Of wings._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: This was a really fun chapter to write! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Let me know how I'm doing, please review! <strong>

**~ With love, Haachi ~_  
><em>**


	5. Chapter 5: Hear My Voice

**Author's Note: Hey Guys, sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I've been so busy with school and finals and just...ugh, that I haven't had any time to work on this. I should have a little more time now though, since finals are all done. But so, here I am again with a new chapter! Please enjoy, and don't forget to comment and favourite! **

**~ With Love, Haachi ~**

* * *

><p>( Otonashi's P.O.V. )<p>

That night, Otonashi didn't sleep very well. His head was filled with fuzzy dreams that flashed in and out of focus; not really even dreams at all, more like random images and sounds. But they somehow fit together…guitars, bright lights, _wings… _the flashes piled up in Otonashi's slumbering mind, and he jolted upright with a start.

Panting, he looked around the dark room; the faint moonlight that shone through the single window illuminated the sleeping form of Hinata across from him, the only sound his gentle snoring. Otonashi breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his temples. His racing heartbeat slowed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Feverishly, he pushed his arms through the sleeves of his bathrobe and forced his feet into his shoes. _I can't take this anymore…I have to find out what's going on…_

Without thinking, he fiddled with the door handle and emerged into the deserted hallway, then made his way down the corridor, his pace unrelenting until he felt cool night air hit his face.

The chilly breeze cleared his mind a little, and he stopped, his breathing hard; the grip of such powerful dreams must have taken hold of his rationality as well. But, even as he emerged out of the haze of confusion, a feeling of doubt rose in his gut. What if he really was going crazy?

Once again he reached up and massaged his temples with his fingertips. A migraine made his head throb and his ears ring, and he clenched his teeth. He didn't care anymore…he had to go talk to Kanade.

And so began his trek across the dew-soaked grass toward the girls' dormitories, which were located just a few hundred yards from the boys'. He stumbled into the dark hallway of the building and stopped dead in his tracks; he had no idea where Kanade's room was! He grimaced to himself and began wandering the hallways, searching for some clue of her presence.

As Otonashi staggered around the building, his mind clouding with irrationality once again, he stopped when he heard a sound; it was faint, but he could tell it was…music?

The redhead shook his head a little to clear his thoughts and looked up at a clock on the wall: in the darkness it read 4:27 am. Why would anyone be playing music at a time like this? But he considered that he really didn't have a right to ask such a question…after, he was the one wandering the halls of the girls' dorm at 4 in the morning.

Curious, he began following the sound, up onto the second floor. He could hear it clearly now…a guitar, playing a slow melody. He got closer to the door where the sound emanated from, and listened as a hushed voice began singing:

_The day that ended while searching for where I could wipe out my frustrations,  
>The sky shown gray and I couldn't see anything ahead.<br>Those who ignore common sense laugh; What lies will they tell next?  
>What will be gained from hanging that up proudly?<br>But I have to keep moving forward,  
>So I'll keep singing like this…<em>

As Otonashi listened to the thoughtful lyrics, he gritted his teeth as yet another memory, future event, or just plain hallucination entered his mind, blurring his senses.

* * *

><p>A stage, the rows below filled with silent onlookers, the white lights flooding the stage…a girl, struggling for something precious.<p>

Otonashi watched as the musician wrestled with teachers for her beloved instrument; a battered guitar lying on the ground, knocked from her hands. Tears brimmed in the girl's scarlet eyes as she struggled and fought, and finally broke free of their grasp.

She reached for the guitar, a small smile lighting her face as her fingertips closed around the neck. She stood and faced the audience. He saw the looks on their faces; _What's going on? What is she doing? _

Then, with a deep breath, she positioned her fingers and began strumming; a melody so melancholic and filled with raw emotion that a hush fell over the entire crowd.

_You're crying for sure; You're lonely for sure,  
>You're right; You're just being human<br>That's what the tears I shed say,  
>This is beautiful too; It's not a lie; Thank you for our true selves…<em>

Everyone in the crowd was teary-eyed as the spotlight shone on her, a rebel voicing the contents of her very soul in one last struggle of defiance. Although she moved and shook with emotion her voice was strong and clear as it rung through the room, and for that moment the whole world was listening to her song:

_Having dreams you want to come true and dreams you can't reach,  
>That itself becomes the dream, becomes the hope for people to go on living;<br>There's a door; I'm waiting there  
>So I'll hold out my hand…<em>

Otonashi felt all of her emotions; her doubt, her fear, her sadness, but most of all her happiness, spill into him all at once. For a split-second he was her; the bright spotlight shining in her eyes, the strength of the guitar strings vibrating beneath her skilled fingertips. He felt all of it, as though he were the one doing it.

The tears of happiness, the tears that contained no regret at what she was doing, spilled out of her crimson eyes as she broke into the last powerful chorus:

_For you who feels crushed, here's the strength and confidence for you to be able to fight again and my song,  
>That's what the tears I shed say;<br>Like this too we met in a dirty and ugly world; Thank you for this miracle…_

And as the last chords played, the last fighting breath as she hummed along with the music, there she was: Kanade. Otonashi's subconscious made him suck in a breath as he gazed at her, her golden eyes aglow in the dim light. She looked at him, and there was the electricity. It jolted through the vision as Iwasawa finished her song:

_Arigatou…_

The last thing he saw was the blissful smile on her face as the guitar fell from her hands as if in slow-motion; the spotlight flooded everything, the last chord reverberating throughout the auditorium.

And then, she was gone.

* * *

><p>( Kanade's P.O.V. )<p>

Her golden eyes looked down at the unconscious redhead. Upon waking up to get some fresh air, Kanade had found Otonashi lying on the floor of the hallway, out cold. Worried, she had called on Iwasawa to help her get him into her dorm. And now, here he lay on her bed, a cold sheen of sweat covering his face as he shifted restlessly.

With a sigh, she dabbed gently at his forehead with a damp cloth. Several questions reeled through her head: Why had Otonashi been in the girls' dorm at this hour? What had caused him to pass out like that? He didn't look like he had suffered any physical injury…but the way his eyes moved constantly under his eyelids, Kanade guessed that something had been troubling him.

Her brow furrowed as she remembered what Otonashi had asked her the day before: if anything strange had happened ever since they met. Maybe he was having some sort of episode. She shrugged; she wouldn't know until he woke up.

Without a word she looked over to where Masami Iwasawa sat on the floor, staring at him; it had been a good thing that she had been so willing to help Kanade half-carry, half-drag Otonashi into her dorm and onto her bed. Now, they sat in silence, both worrying over him.

Then, slowly, the redhead began to stir. His eyelids fluttered as he opened his hazy eyes, and his lips parted in a silent groan.

"Otonashi…?" Kanade and Iwasawa said at the same time. He blinked a few times as his vision adjusted, and he gave them both a confused look.

"W-where am I? What happened? Ughh…"

"We don't know," Iwasawa said as she approached the bed. "We just found you out in the hallway…what in the world were you doing?"

Kanade felt her heart drop as Otonashi bolted upright in recognition. Although she didn't yet know what had happened, she somehow knew it had something to do with her, which only confirmed her fears.

"I was…and you…" He stammered feverishly, his dilated eyes flickering back and forth between the two of them. He took a deep breath in an attempt to try and calm himself. "I…I came to see you, Kanade."

"To see…me?" She said, a tone of mild surprise in her voice. A boy coming to see her at 4 o'clock in the morning? She couldn't help but feel a little flattered, although her face didn't show it. She simply kept her watchful gaze on his face as she helped him ease back against the propped-up pillows.

There was a moment of silence, and all three of them avoided eye-contact. Finally, Iwasawa stood and turned to leave.

"Well, if you're okay, I'd better be going," She said as she headed for the door. Kanade nodded her thanks and the two of them watched as she left, the door clicking softly behind her.

Another awkward silence between the two. Kanade glanced at Otonashi, whose gaze was fixed on the ceiling. She had to ask Otonashi what had been so urgent that he needed to see her at such a ridiculous hour. As she contemplated on how she would ask him, another thought entered her mind; would he mention the strange connection that seemed to be forming between them? She almost didn't want to be the one to bring it up; it was obviously a bit of a touchy subject. But as she let her golden gaze linger on him for a moment, she could see that whatever was happening, it was really taking its toll on him; there were dark shadows under his eyes, and his face was hollow with malnourishment. After another few moments of the agonizing silence, she opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Otonashi.

"I'm sorry…about the trouble I've caused you," He said quietly, his tired auburn eyes on her. "I just…really needed to talk to you."

After a moment, Kanade nodded, her eyes soft. "What did…you want to talk about?"

She watched as he hesitated, his gaze suddenly dark. "You remember yesterday, when I asked if anything…strange had happened to you since you met me?"

She nodded.

"I just…I can't ignore this anymore. Something's happening between you and me, I can feel it." He said up hurriedly, only to fall back down again in exhaustion. "I've been having so many weird dreams and visions, I'm going crazy. I need to find out what they mean, Kanade."

Subconsciously she scooted a little closer to where Otonashi lay on the bed. Her thoughts immediately went to the night before; the extremely vivid vision, the pain. His face…

"I've been having dreams too," She said finally. "I wasn't sure what they meant…what do you think they are?"

Otonashi shook his head. "I have no clue, but whatever they are they have to mean something." He tried to sit up again, this time slower, finally succeeding. He rested his red-brown eyes on Kanade in a silent plea.

"Please, Kanade," He said after a moment. "I need to find out what these mean, and I don't think I can do it without you. Will you help me?"

The silver-haired girl took a moment to contemplate the situation at hand. If she decided to help him, she could figure out what kind of connection the two had. But if she chose to face the signs head-on instead of trying to ignore them, she might have to experience that pain again…

"Alright," She said, interrupting her train of thought. "I'll help. I'm curious too."

Otonashi nodded with a sigh of relief, some of the burden gone from his tired face. "I really hope…we can figure this out together," He said, and she noticed that his eyes were drifting shut. It seemed a wave of sleep was crashing over the mentally and emotionally drained boy. She nodded in a silent allowance and watched as he lay back down, his head slumping softly onto the pillow. Within moments he was asleep, his soft breathing the only sound in the room. As he collapsed into a dreamless unconsciousness, his eyes remained still underneath his eyelids, his breathing slow and even with the lessened weight of the burden both of them now bore.

In a gentle gesture, Kanade reached for a blanket folded at the foot of the bed and draped it over the sleeping form. She looked out the curtained window; the sun was just barely beginning to rise.

As she perched on the edge of the bed and watched him sleep peacefully, she let her hand slowly reach up to rest on Otonashi's chest. She closed her eyes as the gentle thumping of his heart penetrated her, and for a moment their hearts beat in perfect unison; almost as if they were one.


	6. Chapter 6: Romance Blossoms Like Flowers

( Otonashi's P.O.V. )

Otonashi blinked slowly in the bright sunlight that shone through the window. Where was he? What had happened? Looking over, he read the alarm clock; 1:28 pm.

He groaned quietly, his hand reaching up to rub his temple. He looked down his chest when he felt his movement being restricted to see Kanade, sleeping with her head on his chest.

Yuzuru couldn't help but smile at her sleeping form. Easing up, he cradled her head in his hands and shifted her onto the mattress, then swung his legs over the side of Kanade's small bed. He yawned and stretched his arms, an ache in his back throbbing up and down his spine. He cringed a little as he stood, and suddenly everything came flooding back; feverish dreams, stumbling around, looking for her, that song…Kanade's face.

As he remembered their conversation from the night before, he looked over at Kanade's peaceful sleeping face. For an instant he felt stupid, dragging her into his suspicions. But another emotion came over this doubt; hope. If he found out what kind of connection the two of them had, he could finally be at ease, he realized. He just hoped Kanade wouldn't think badly about him for any conclusions he made.

His thoughts were interrupted by her stirring; slowly she sat up and yawned. Her golden gaze registered his face and he saw, for once, a small smile appear on her face. Otonashi couldn't help but smile back.

"Morning," He said cheerily, despite his pounding headache.

She nodded to him and stood up, stretching her small arms. She straightened her hair out and smoothed down her white nightgown.

"I'm gonna go freshen up," She said quietly. "Help yourself to anything."

Otonashi nodded as she retreated into the small bathroom and busied himself looking around the room; it was pretty plain, with only the bed and a small desk positioned in the room. The walls were blank, as was the desk; no pictures, stickers, anything. Only a small lamp and a few textbooks sat there.

A few minutes later Otonashi looked over to see Kanade exiting the bathroom. Her hair was now combed and styled, her nightgown replaced by a mint-green sundress.

"You look…nice," He said awkwardly. Kanade simply blinked and proceeded toward the door.

"Let's go outside," She said. "It's a nice day today."

She indicated toward the sunshine that shone through the sheer white curtains; the rain from the previous days was definitely gone now.

Otonashi nodded and followed Kanade out into the hallway, where girls were walking around, laughing and chattering. As he walked beside Kanade, his head in the clouds, he didn't notice the form walking straight for him, who also seemed to be lost in thought.

"Oof!" He grunted with the colliding force. "Would ya watch where you're-"

He looked down to study the pink-haired girl who had crashed onto her bum with the collision. She scowled up at him as she began to get up, and Otonashi recognized the ultimate GLDEMO fan Hinata had told him about; Yui.

"Why don't _you, _wise guy!" She fumed, her little hands balled into fists. She pouted angrily at him, then recognized Kanade.

"Oh, Tachibana," She said. "What're you doing with a guy like this? There aren't any boys allowed in here!"

Kanade looked at Yui blankly before answering. "Um…long story," She said, lowering her golden gaze, and Otonashi noticed a hint of a flush in her cheeks.

"Hngh…I've got my eye on you," She said, squinting her crimson eyes at him. She began backing up, her gaze not leaving him, until she had disappeared around the corner.

"Well that was…odd," Yuzuru said once she was gone. Kanade nodded, not saying anything. "She's an interesting character."

As the two walked down to the first floor and emerged into the lobby of the dorm, Otonashi noticed Hisako and Irie, GLDEMO's lead guitarist and drummer, handing out little slips of paper to people who happened to be passing by.

"Free Gondola Rides at the park! Support GLDEMO! All tips will go to funding our next album!"

As Otonashi and Kanade passed by, Hisako put one of the coupons in Otonashi's hand. "Support the cause! Enjoy!" She said with a grin. He looked down at the slip to read the text: _"Free Gondola Rides! Get a taste of Italy! Bring your sweetheart! For today only!"_

He held it out to Kanade and looked at her inquiringly; it was something to do, and the park was only a few blocks away.

"Let's go," She said, her soft tone containing the tiniest hint of happiness. "It'll be fun."

Yuzuru nodded and smiled, and the two of them left the building, walking down the lawn toward the front gates.

* * *

><p>( Kanade's P.O.V. )<p>

Birds chirped in the early afternoon sunlight as she and Otonashi finally reached the gates of the local park. It was a popular spot for students who didn't have a lot of cash, and even as they stepped onto the winding path through the trees and manicured flowerbeds they saw quite a few familiar faces.

But today, the main attraction of the beautiful nature haven was not the party-reserved picnic tables, or the brightly-coloured playground in which little kids and teenagers alike played on, but a big group of people gathered around the large pond in the center of the park. The two walked over to it, and as they approached the cool water Kanade silently cursed herself for not bringing a sunhat._ Sigh_, oh well.

As they drew closer to the water's edge, they saw what the commotion was about; people were lining up to get their free gondola rides. A small dock was erected and right below it was a small boat, built for two people and a gondolier standing in the front end, a long paddle in his hand.

Finally, they got to the front of the line; by that time, the sun was beating down on Kanade's head, and she felt an uncomfortable heat near her ears. The gondola was a welcome sight as the gondolier helped both of them in, and they sat side-by-side as the little boat began gliding through the water.

"This is nice," Otonashi said as they moved with the canal that branched off from the pond, under the cooling shade of some willow trees, their whispering tips brushing against the cool surface of the water.

"It is," Kanade agreed, looking around at the wildflowers that littered the banks. As they proceeded, a low-hanging willow branch brushed across her cheek.

"Oh, you've…got something in your hair," He said when he turned to look at her. Slowly he reached up and tugged loose a leaf that had caught in her silvery-white hair. In that moment, as he tossed the leaf away and let his hand trail down to her jaw, their eyes met, and Kanade felt herself flush.

His fingers lingered there for a moment, before he hurriedly pulled away with a nervous laugh. Kanade gave him a tiny smile that showed she had liked it. She watched as a hint of red crept into his cheeks as well.

The sound of the gondolier humming a slow, romantic song attracted both of their attention as they emerged from underneath the trees, and the canal opened up to present a grove of cherry blossom trees. Kanade looked up to the heavens as they began to pass underneath the branches, and delicate petals floated down to rest inside their boat.

"Beautiful," Otonashi commented, and Kanade nodded her head in agreement. She lowered her gaze to see him looking at her, a small smile on his features. She looked down at the floor of the boat and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

For a moment they sat, listening to the gondolier's romantic tune, the sweet perfume of the trees filling their senses. Kanade looked up when she felt Otonashi scoot a little closer to her, but she didn't resist it; slowly she eased into the curve of his body, her head fitting perfectly into the dip of his collarbone. She was answered by the feeling of Otonashi's arm reaching over to curl around her shoulder.

With his other hand, she watched as he picked up a perfect blossom that had fallen into his lap. He turned to face her a little more and positioned the blossom in her hair.

"There," He said. Kanade felt her cheeks burn more than they already had been, and instead of answering just repositioned her head on his shoulder and gazed up at the canopy of pink and white blossoms, her mind at ease.

* * *

><p>( Otonashi's P.O.V. )<p>

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the park, and after a long day of feeding ducks, playing on swings, and eating snow cones, Otonashi was exhausted. But it had been worth it; he had actually gotten Kanade to smile a few times.

So now they sat on a park bench, the sun setting in the distance, the usual excitement and playfulness of the park dimmed to a calm, peaceful atmosphere. As the last of the kids cleared out to get home before their curfews, Otonashi let out a content sigh.

"This has been great," He said as he sprawled himself out on the bench beside Kanade. "Did you have a good time?"

She nodded, her hands in her lap as she gazed at the setting sun. "Thank you," She said softly, drawing her gaze away from the blazing sky to look at him sincerely. "I haven't had this much fun…in a really long time."

From the tone of her sweet-sounding voice, Otonashi could tell she was being genuine. He smiled at her and stood, stretching his arms as he did. "Well, we'd better get back to school," He said.

She stood without a word and, with the day behind them, began heading back to the academy. It wasn't until they had entered the front gates and crossed the lawn that they spoke again.

"I need to be getting back to my dorm," Kanade said, blinking as she looked up at Yuzuru with those fantastic golden orbs. "Again, thank you. I had a lot of fun today."

He nodded. "We'll have to do it again sometime," He said. "I'll see you on Monday?"

Another hint of a smile graced her pretty face as she nodded once, then turned and began walking toward the girls' dormitories. Otonashi watched after her and, as he did, noticed a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach; was it…love? He shook his head. After all, they had only just met a few weeks ago. Plus, he had never believed in love at first sight.

Turning, he sat down on a small hill near the boys' dorms and watched the sun sink beyond the horizon, the shades of orange and pink mixing with the blue. He smiled.

_Until next time, Kanade._


	7. Chapter 7: First Encounter

**Author's Note: Hello, my beloved readers! I'm so very sorry for the hiatus on this story. Writer's block has gotten the best of me lately. So I hope you enjoy this chapter, and forgive me for making you guys wait so long! **

**~With love, Haachi ~**

* * *

><p>( Otonashi's P.O.V. )<p>

The rest of that weekend was just a blur of boring moment after boring moment for Yuzuru. By the time Sunday was almost at an end and Monday was fast approaching, he was actually feeling kind of relieved that he would have class the next day.

As he lay on his bed, lazily doodling a picture of a dog on his math assignment, another thought came into his mind: he would get to see Kanade the next day in his classes, and after school. As he thought about this more, he realized that it probably seemed almost creepy that he was thinking about her so much, but in spite of all this he couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking of him too.

Just then, the door opened, pulling him out of his thoughts. Hinata walked in with Yui and Yuri in tow. "Hey man, we're gonna go grab something to eat. Wanna come with?" Hinata said joyfully as Otonashi hoisted himself into a sitting position.

"Uh," He stumbled, not quite sure what to say. To be honest he wasn't really in the mood for hanging out with anyone, but knowing Hinata, none of that mattered.

"Alright, great," The blue-haired boy said. "Come on! Don't worry, it's Yuri's treat tonight."

Yuri nodded and gave a cheesy grin. "Yeah, so if you order anything expensive, I'll kill ya. Now, let's go. I'm starving!"

Otonashi gave an inaudible sigh and stood, heading out the door to slowly follow the three. He let his mind wander as his unfocused stare fixed on their moving forms, Hinata walking with long strides, Yuri's shorter strides slightly uneven as she roughhoused with Yui.

"So where are we going, anyway?" He heard Yui ask. Hinata shrugged. "I figured we could just go to that little pizza place here on campus," He replied. The three of them picked up their pace, and Otonashi jogged a little to catch up with them.

"So Otonashi, which one do you want," Hinata teased. "The insane one or the REALLY insane one?"

Otonashi laughed lightly, giving Yuri a playful shove as they left the student building and began walking down the path that led to a section of the ground where Otonashi hadn't been yet: what the students called Shimei Plaza.

"It's basically just a giant square filled with little shops where you can buy school supplies and stuff," Hinata had explained to him. "There's also a few little restaurants, some souvenir shops, and a little of this and that. It's really cool, but it's off-limits to students during the week."

Now they proceeded down the walkway that led through the small nature park contained on the grounds, and into a lighted square filled with all different kinds of shops; street vendors selling sweets, knickknack shops, tanning salons, restaurants, and anything else you could think of. Otonashi looked on with awe at the business of the plaza. How had he not seen this until now?  
>"I know what you're thinking," Yuri said, turning to him. "'After I've already been here this long, how come no one's taken me here 'till now?' Well, the answer is because everything here is expensive as hell and they only let the kids in on weekends. Y'know, they don't want us causing any riffraff."<p>

Otonashi nodded in understanding. "So, where's this place we're going to?" He asked curiously. All three of his companions pointed to the upper left corner of the plaza, where an old-fashioned Italian Bistro sat.

"Their spaghetti is to DIE for," Yui commented. "Let's go, I'm soo hungry!"

The three of them followed Yui's excited path through a crowd of people until they emerged in front of the ornate brick building. Little black wire tables with decorative designs carved into them sat outside in neat little arrangements, while two picture windows carved out the walls on either side of the Roman arch that led to the main entrance.

"Wow, fancy," Otonashi commented with a low whistle. "You can afford all this, Yurippe?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Not really, but I figured, Hey, why not? Might as well put my hard-earned dough to something useful."

"You're the best, Yurippe!" Hinata said as he made a dash for the door. Yui followed suit, finally followed by Otonashi and Yuri.

As the redhead turned to make his way toward the door, he felt a strong grip on his forearm. He turned to see Yuri looking at him with her bright green eyes, and he raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"I've seen you've been hanging around Tachibana a lot lately," She said. "If I were you, I'd stay away from her."

Otonashi felt taken aback. "Why do you say that?"

He felt her grip tighten slightly. "I don't know, she just…she seems off to me. Something about her doesn't feel right. It almost feels as if I've known her in a past life or something."

He felt a wave of astonishment go through him. So Yuri was somehow involved in this too? Just then, his arm slackened in Yuri's grip and his eyes rolled back, as a new scene replaced the current.

* * *

><p><em>The evening sky above him. Hard concrete underneath him. He blinked, looking around. <em>W…what happened? Where am I? _He thought in confusion as he looked around._

"_Oh, so you're up," He heard a voice say. He jolted upright to see a crimson-haired girl with a sniper rifle resting on her shoulder. "Welcome to the Not-Dead-Yet Battlefront."_

"_What?" He said in confusion. Who was this girl? And where the hell was he, anyway?_

_The moon shone bleakly on the sidewalk as he examined her. "Look, I know this is pretty sudden, but would you join up with us?" She said._

"_Join up? What're you talking about?" He replied._

_She turned to look at him hardly. "Well, if you're here, you must be dead, am I right?"_

_D-dead! What on earth did she mean? He couldn't be dead. She wasn't making any sense._

"_Look, you're in the Afterlife now, which means you'll get obliterated if you don't fight."_

_He blinked at her. "Fight? Who are we fighting?"_

_He approached to look over her shoulder and saw a white-haired girl, her pale skin glowing silver in the moonlight. She was beautiful…how could she be bad?_

"_Her? What's so bad about her?"_

"_Are you crazy! She's the Not-Yet-Dead Battlefront's sworn enemy – Angel."_

_He stood to get a better look at her. "She doesn't seem so bad. Maybe I should go down and talk to her instead of try and fight her like you're doing. You see, unlike you I bet she's not a total and complete lunatic."_

"_What the hell's wrong with you! You can't just go down there, she'll destroy you!"_

"_Yeah yeah, whatever," He said as he walked down the steps to where this Angel stood. He ignored the sounds of the crimson-haired girl yelling and cursing down at him as he approached her._

"_Excuse me," He called to her. She turned to face him, and her golden gaze pierced his very core. He felt his insides lurch a bit. "There're some kids up there trying to shoot at you, they're saying you're some kind of angel. What a load of bullshit, right?"_

"_But…I'm not any kind of angel," She replied in her singsong voice. "I'm just the student body president."_

"_Geez, I can't believe I fell for that," He said, feeling like a complete and total fool. "Man, I'd better get to the hospital or something…"_

"_There aren't any hospitals here."_

_Otonashi turned to look at her. "Whaddya mean? Why not?"_

"_Because. No one dies here."_

_He felt a very real wave of anger come over him. "Oh, so you're in on this too, huh? Well if I'm dead like everyone says I am, why don't you prove it!"_

_There was a moment of silence as her gaze hardened. She lifted her hand. "Hand sonic," She said in a chillingly monotonous voice. "Now, die."_

_There was a flash of silver in the moonlight. And then all there was, was pain. _

* * *

><p>A wet gasp strangled Otonashi as he snapped back to the present. He blinked to see Yuri staring at him with wide eyes, her panicked voice far away. Hinata and Yui had rejoined them, and were standing over him anxiously. He felt something wet and sticky rise in his throat, and a gurgling cough erupted from him that burned his insides.<p>

He watched as the blood sprayed his clean shirt. Yui whimpered and pressed her face into Hinata's shoulder. Yuri whipped out her cell phone and dialed three quick digits. As her muffled voice talked frantically into the phone, Otonashi let his mind go back to what had just happened. This had obviously been another flashback or dream of some sort, but this one was so real that he was feeling the exact same excruciating pain right now that he had in his other state. It felt literally right now as though someone had pierced right through him with a blade.

"Hold on, Otonashi," He heard Yuri said. "An ambulance is on its way."

( Kanade's P.O.V. )

She watched out of the window of the bistro at the group, as she slowly took a bite of her gelato. Naoi sat across from her, stirring a dessert spoon through his bowl of Italian sorbet. She looked on as two of them – Hinata and Yui, she believed their names were – entered the restaurant, leaving Otonashi and Yuri outside.

Naoi looked at her curiously, his keen eyes boring into her. "What is it, Tachibana?"

Kanade remained silent, her brow furrowed as she watched Otonashi seize, then collapse outside. He remained scarily still, then suddenly convulsed and coughed up blood, the dark red specks staining his white shirt. She felt her heartbeat quicken as she watched Yuri pull out her cellphone. Had Otonashi just experienced what she had? She didn't understand, though…the pain had been real for her, yes, but Otonashi had actually been injured by it. Whatever kind of pain he was feeling and whatever had caused it, it had to be something extremely intense.

Suddenly, she felt a jarring sensation in her left hand. She looked down and sucked in a breath when she saw what looked like a flash of a blade cross over her skin. Before she knew it her hand had returned to normal. What was going on?  
>"I have to go," She said abruptly, standing and turning toward the door, leaving Naoi mildly surprised. She hurried out the door, hoping Naoi would be a gentleman enough to cover the bill this time. The cool night air hit her face in a wave as she opened the door and stepped outside. The ambulance had just arrived, and she hurried over to Yuri.<p>

"What happened to him?" The coolness in her eyes hid the turmoil that raged inside of her for Otonashi's safety.

"I don't know," Yuri replied, looking up. "Why do you care?"

Kanade didn't respond, just simply looked on as they put him on a stretcher and loaded him into the back of the ambulance. Unsatisfied, she approached one of the paramedics as he turned to get in the driver's side of the vehicle.

"What happened here?" She said quietly, startling the man. He cleared his throat and leaned against the side of the ambulance.

"He's bleeding internally and there's blood on his skin as well, almost as if he had been stabbed by something," The paramedic informed her. "But it's the oddest thing; no mark, no sign that he's been injured at all."

"Will…he be alright?"

He nodded. "Should be. Nothing too serious. Are you his girlfriend or something?"

Kanade flushed and shook her head, and the paramedic shrugged. "Well, we're gonna get him to the hospital, see if we can find the cause of his bleeding."

She nodded and turned away without another word to the man. As she walked away from the lights of the plaza, she looked down at her hand again; she couldn't help but feel like she had been responsible for Otonashi's unexplained injury.

Another agonizing burst of pain, identical to the first time, blasted through her head. She staggered, her pace slowing, her fingers gripping her temples.

_Hand sonic, hand sonic, hand sonic…._

Hand sonic? What on earth was that? She had no idea what it was, but somehow she felt like she had heard or seen it before.

* * *

><p><em>The redheaded boy running toward her, the bleak light of the moon illuminating the dark red taint of his blood on the concrete…<em>

* * *

><p>She gasped and opened her eyes. Another one…this one wasn't really a flashback, however. It seemed to be telling her something. She looked down at her left hand once more, and parted her lips.<p>

"Hand…hand sonic."

Nothing happened. She sighed in relief, although she didn't know what she had been expecting. But there was that metal glint when her hand caught the light. What did this mean? She rubbed her temples to try and calm her thoughts. She turned to face back the way she had come – Otonashi was probably on his way to the hospital by now. She had to see him, talk to him. She couldn't just let this go.

"I'm coming, Otonashi," She said quietly to herself as she began heading back the way she had come.


	8. Chapter 8: Purpose

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, here's the latest of The Greatest Treasure of All! I apologize for such a short chapter, but given the events in this chapter I felt it would be best to end it where it ended. So please, read, enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

**~ With love, Haachi ~**

* * *

><p>( Kanade's P.O.V. )<p>

The bleak white of the hospital made Kanade feel extremely uncomfortable as she tried to find where they had put Otonashi. It wasn't until about a half hour of wandering aimlessly that she finally made progress; Yuri stood just a little ways down the hallway from where she stood.

She picked up her pace a little until she reached Yuri, ignoring her slightly surprised look at seeing her there. "Tachibana? What are you doing here?"

Kanade took a moment to catch her breath before answering. "I just…wanted to make sure Otonashi was alright," She said. Yuri gave her a suspicious look, but pointed at a hospital room just across the hall.

"He's in there," She said. "But I wouldn't waste your breath, he's asleep."

Ignoring what she said, Kanade crossed the hall and entered the hospital room. It looked like any other hospital room, with a bed, a TV hooked up to the wall, and a table full of emergency operating instruments that gave Kanade chills just looking at them.

As she closed the door behind her, she realized that it was just the two of them. No doctor, no nurse, no roommate. Kanade timidly crossed the room to where Otonashi lay on the bed, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. An IV was attached to his arm, and the bag next to the bed creating a steady dripping noise that harmonized with the quiet beeping of a heart monitor on the other side of the bed.

"Otonashi…" She mumbled quietly as she gazed upon his sleeping form. She sat down in a chair near the large window in the room, her hands in her lap, simply watching. Life went on outside the window, the lights of the city flickering like fireflies, cars going by like busy little ants. But strangely, Kanade felt time stand still in here.

It was awhile before Otonashi woke up. Kanade must have fallen asleep, because she opened her eyes to find Otonashi just barely waking up as well, the beeping of the heart monitor picking up as his body once again became active.

"Ugh…Kanade?"

She slowly stood and crossed the room to the bed, kneeling down beside it and gazing at him. "So, you're awake," She said. Otonashi let his head rest on the pillow, his exhaustion showing in his eyes.

"What happened?" He said softly. She watched as his hand felt down his chest, to his bandaged ribs. He winced at the tenderness and let his hand fall back to his side.

Kanade shook her head, her silver hair swirling around her face gently as she did so. "You…were coughing up blood," She said. "I saw you from inside the restaurant."

A moment of silence passed, and Kanade decided to go out on a limb. "Yuzuru, did you have…?"

He nodded. "That was the first time it…affected me that badly," He said hoarsely. Kanade sighed and softly let her hand rest on top of his. As soon as their skin touched, Kanade felt a rush of warm, and a serene feeling came over her. She looked to Otonashi, who seemed to be experiencing the same thing.

* * *

><p><em>The sun shone bright through the window behind her bed. She looked at him with utmost sincerity, her hand on his.<em>

"_I signed up to be an organ donor right before I died," He said, the sadness brimming in his eyes. "I could have given someone a part of me…that's what I believed…"_

_Her soothing touch moved from his hand to his cheek in a gentle caress. "This stranger whose life you saved," She said softly. "I'm sure she'll be saying thank you all of her life. After all, who wouldn't be grateful?"_

_He smiled and lifted his hand to hold her touch on his cheek._

"_Yuzuru?"_

"_What is it?"_

"_Do you think you've overcome those lingering emotions?"_

_He thought about this for a moment, and as he thought he really did feel at peace. "I suppose if I saved someone, I've fulfilled my purpose," He said with a peaceful smile. "But…does that mean I'm going to disappear?"_

_She remained silent as he pondered this. "No…they're still here," He said finally. "Which means…I still have a purpose to fulfill here…"_

"_I see," She said. He stood and walked to the opposite side of the room. _

"_I want to see everyone here be at peace," He said after a moment. "Wouldn't it be great if we could all leave this place together? You, me, everyone?"_

_She nodded and smiled. "So you understand now?"_

"_Yes…living a new life wouldn't really be that bad…" He paused, turning back to look at her. "As long as…you were there with me…Kanade."_

* * *

><p>Kanade exhaled softly as she came back to Earth. Her eyes brimmed with emotion as she gazed at Otonashi, who was giving her that same look.<p>

"It's beginning to make sense now, isn't it?" Otonashi said quietly. "You and I…we've…"

Kanade smiled, as her emotions almost overtook her. "I always knew there was something deep down inside of my heart that wasn't my own…the first time I saw you, I knew…"

Yuzuru let out a slightly strangled laugh, as if he was also fighting back tears. "So I did help someone," He said, and tears began to moisten the corners of his eyes. Softly, slowly, he let his other hand slide up underneath her chin, lifting her head. Kanade felt her heartbeat quicken, and her golden eyes grew damp. She closed her eyes, her lips softening, preparing for that moment of bliss. She felt his warm, sweet breath on her face, knowing that it was coming, and just as the softness of his lips began to touch hers…

The door opened and Yuri came in, startling both of them enough that they broke apart and gave her fake smiles.

"So you're awake," Yuri said obliviously. "The doc said you can go home whenever you're ready, so let's get going."

Kanade stood from her kneeling position and wordlessly began helping Yuri gather all of Otonashi's things. He sat up and gave Kanade an apologetic smile before heading into the bathroom to get changed, and as he shut the door, Kanade felt her heart sink. They had really connected, and she had been so sure that he was going to…

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and busied herself by packing up the rest of their things, before turning to Yuri.

"I have to get going," She said. "Tell Otonashi that I hope he gets well soon."

Yuri nodded but said nothing, and Kanade turned to go. Just as she opened the door to leave, she was surprised to hear Yuri's voice from behind her.

"Hey, Tachibana," She said in that usual tough demeanor of hers. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him."

She nodded and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her. She sighed, grateful that she was alone with her thoughts. Her heart felt full and warm, knowing that Otonashi really was inside of her…and as she left the hospital, she knew deep down in her heart – his heart - that he always would be.


End file.
